Following a smash-hit, sell-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe, Rory Marshall is bringing his critically acclaimed debut show Pathetic Little Characters to Brighton’s Komedia in January 2026. The hour-long character comedy has been named among the Best-Reviewed Fringe Shows of 2025 by British Comedy Guide, featured in the Observer’s Edinburgh Fringe highlights and included in Time Out’s best comedy picks of the festival. Praise has been glowing, with ★★★★★ from Metro calling Marshall “about to blow up”, ★★★★ reviews from The Times and The List, and endorsements from the likes of Lolly Adefope and Rhys James, cementing his status as one of the most exciting new voices in UK comedy.
Described as an exploration of “extremely sad and pathetic characters”, which Marshall insists bear no resemblance to himself, the show marks a bold new chapter for the former punk musician, who once played in Brighton band Birdskulls. Now swapping guitar for microphone, Marshall says the punk attitude remains firmly intact. As seen on Starstruck, Ellie & Natasia and Channel 4, and heard on Radio 4, this much-talked-about show lands at Komedia on Saturday 17 January 2026. Ahead of his Brighton date, Rory has shared a Q+A about characters, comedy, and returning to the city where it all began.
How are you feeling about bringing your show to Brighton?
I spent my younger years playing punk rock to the people of Brighton in my old punk band Birdskulls, and I can’t wait to be back on stage for the good people of the city. Yes, I’ve laid down the guitar and picked up the microphone (the comedy one) but the attitude remains as punk as ever. Many people are calling me the Johnny Rotten of comedy – I have a real ‘up yours’ attitude and since I’ve left my band I’ve become a complete prick. I enjoyed doing a sold out work-in-progress show at the Brighton Fringe in May and I’m excited to bring the finished product back so that people can go ‘Oh that wasn’t actually the finished thing, I just walked in off the street and was like “this guys reading most of the show of a script, what a waste of money”, but yeah now I see he was just working out what the show would be and yeah its actually not bad. Not really for me, but not bad.’
What inspired your debut show, Pathetic Little Characters?
I’ve always been fascinated by why people – specifically men – behave differently depending on their situation. Why do we feel the need to show off, to make others laugh, or to be liked? I wanted to really get into the strange and uncomfortable ways people behave when they’re desperate to impress, desperate to belong, or just desperately pathetic. All the characters in the show emerged organically—maybe too organically—from my own observations and experiences. Or perhaps it’s just because being sad, pathetic, and desperate comes very, very naturally to me.
Who are some of the pathetic little characters we can expect to see in the show?
There’s a whole range of different characters and snapshots for people to enjoy and relate to from their lives: a know-it-all barman, a weary Teaching Assistant, a Love Island contestant, a dinner party guest who loves the sound of his own voice too much, a dad trying to bond with his son, the guy in the club who talks to random strangers… I’ve never been any of these people, but there is maybe a worrying amount of myself in all of them.
Underneath a lot of the show is the idea of ‘toxic masculinity’ – do you think this a ripe theme for comedy?
With each character I’ve tried to give a snapshot of a man caught in a moment of awkwardness, anxiety or bravado. I guess I didn’t try to do this consciously, but comedy comes from tension, and the idea of who these guys are and who they think they’re supposed to be, is pretty good ground to be absurd and to make people cringe. It’s not taking a big swing, but if I am looking at anything ‘toxic’, it’s about what it looks like in everyday modern life. A lot of the characters and sketches come from real people and interactions I’ve had, so I hope the show is as empathetic as it is satirical. And that it’s really, really funny.
How do you make sure the satire still has empathy?
I really cannot stress enough that the characters in this show are people that I LOVE. People are all different and they all act in different ways and that’s a fact of life! I’m celebrating these guys! We all can be a bit weird at times and we all have our reasons and I like to think this show explores those reasons. This show is a celebration of people! (NB: there are some characters with problematic behaviours in the show and I’m not celebrating that, that bit gets a bit more fiddly but ultimately is all thumbs up across the board morally)
Your first Edinburgh Fringe was a big success this year, but what was your pathway into comedy?
Back when I was in the Birdskulls, I’d often try to use the time between songs to have some comedy moments and banter with the audience, which didn’t always go down well. With the band. Or the audience. And then, in 2020, I was furloughed from my job selling kebabs, and thought, ‘well what am I going to do with all this free time in my bedroom?’ So like the band, and kebabs, I sort of just fell into comedy… I started making sketches for Instagram, and I was very lucky that they went down well online and lots of great people saw them and liked my stuff. After that, I got little parts in Ellie & Natasia and Starstruck on the BBC, some radio roles, and just kept performing live, making videos, and then this year decided to give it everything (financially & emotionally) and see if I could make an hour of comedy, and then take it to the Fringe. I’m really happy with how the show went down there, we had lots of great crowds and reviews, and I can’t wait now to bring it to Brighton, and hopefully more people will be laughing at my comedy on stage this time around…
How do you describe Pathetic Little Characters to someone who thinks they don’t like sketch comedy?
Like this: ‘Listen mate, I get it. You don’t like sketch comedy and that’s fine. I actually agree that sketch comedy can be pretty hard work. But it’s not about that. It’s about having a good laugh. This show is relatable. It’s fast paced. It’s free! Well, it’s not free, it’s about £15. But ultimately, it’s worth it, I reckon. So you’ve got to let go of this whole ‘I don’t like sketch thing’ and go grab yourself a Staropramen and come and have a laugh with me and the rest of the gang at Brighton Komedia. And bring me a Staropramen while you’re at it. And make it a large one (a pint).’ And then I wink at them and give them a fist bump and go and do the show and I smash it and afterwards they give me a knowing look and smile that says ‘you were right dude.’ And then they hand me the Staropramen.
Do you have a favourite character in the show?
I especially enjoy playing a patronising, smarmy bartender. On so many occasions I have been made to feel like a little bug by a bartender who somehow manages to make the simple task of ordering a couple of drinks the most difficult thing in the world. Have you ever been wronged by a smarmy bartender? If yes, then come to see the show and we can finally have our retribution! (this is absolutely not a show fueled by bitterness and revenge. This show aims to see the world from everyone’s perspective and is very, very positive and lovely and even the complete idiots in this show have a very lovely side to them and that’s what it’s all about!)
What do you hope people take away from the show?
I want people to walk out of that show, into the street and social media platforms and shout ‘RORY MARSHALL IS AWESOME!’ as loud as they can. Maybe even a chant. Get the whole city and internet going. Then people will say ‘we better get tickets for his next show’ and then someone will hand me a Staropramen.
Rory Marshall: ‘Pathetic Little Characters’ at Brighton Fringe
Pathetic Little Characters is on at Brighton’s Komedia on Saturday, January 17 at 6.30pm.
Tickets: Komedia
Address: 44-47 Gardner St, Brighton and Hove, Brighton BN1 1UN
